Chapter 1

Past

Alessandra

I pulled my coat tighter as I made my way to the entrance of the club. Paul saw me and smiled, opening the door for me. When I walked in, I greeted some of the girls and headed straight to the employee lounge and changed into my uniform and locked my stuff into the locker and headed out.

Alessandra Cole, twenty-five years old. Waitress, clerk, bottle girl—you name it, I’ve done it. Not because I wanted to, but because I had no other or any other choice. Why? I was trying to stay alive. I went over to my section and took their orders and headed to the bar.

“Hey Mike.”

“Hey there, Lessa, full house tonight, huh?” He said, smiling his cocky smile that made half the women at the bar swoon over him.

“Good night for tips too,” I said, returning his smile and grabbing my order. During the night I stopped to talk to some of the girls. I was heading to the washroom when Candy pulled me aside; Halie was with her.

“What’s up?”

“I heard from one of the strippers...”

“How many times must I tell you not to call them that?”

“Okay, fine,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I heard one of the dancers say Kian Arreas is in the building, in a private room upstairs,” she said, looking all dreamy.

“Who?” I asked, fully confused. They both looked at me like I had grown two heads.

“Kian Arreas, head of the Arreas family, billionaire, playboy, business mogul,” Candy said.

“Not forgetting some people say they are a Mob family, you know, Mafia,” Hallie said.

“I heard they basically own Chicago,” Haile said.

“And why would anyone be excited about that?”

“Ahh, so sweet and so naive. All I need is one night with him, and I would be set for life,” Candy said, leaning against the wall, and I rolled my eyes. She always wanted one night with someone that wasn’t new for her. I've known her for the past four years, and her antics and way with words weren't new to me.

“Bitch, keep dreaming. I heard he’s a beast in bed, but I’ve also heard he is cold and ruthless, like he has no heart. The most troubling part is he’s always out in public but surrounded by security. You can never catch a glimpse of him,” Halie completed.

“Well, I wish you two all the best in your attempts at bagging and screwing him.”